Hi, Guys. This story is an AU of Ceara Ivory Care Bear's work, which you should check out. Thank you, Ceara Ivory. Anyway, it is not a continuation. It's an AU of an AU. The story starts around the time of Flora and Fauna's war. The characters of Evening Star and Moonlight are my own. The rest are Ceara Ivory's creations. Enjoy.
Evening Star played among the clouds in Etheria. She created castles out of them and dreamed of playing with the creatures down on Earth. Her shadow joined her in her fun. They made a table and cups out of the clouds around them. The two sat on either side of the table, waiting for their mentor, Starshine, to come. Rainbows swirled around them. She lived happily in peace, unaware of Emperess Flora and Emperor Fauna's fighting or Dark Heart's vile plan.
Her mother, Moonlight, and the girl had been made into Immortals by the Great One a few years before Dark Heart. Moonlight was once a peasant woman with kindness for children. She loved all the children at her orphanage, especially her newborn daughter. However, her baby got sick from the plague, and Moonlight feared she would lose her. She begged for any force to save her child. Help came when the woman pushed two children out of the way of a runaway cart. Just as she was about to be run over, the Great One, the grand spirit and ruler of Etheria, transported her and her baby to his land.
The Great One told her he had deemed her worthy of joining the Immortals, and from there on, her name would be Moonlight, while her daughter was renamed Evening Star. Her mother's duties would be to give the children sweet dreams and comfort them as they slept. Evening Star would train under one of the Immortals until she came of age to serve in the council. The Immortals in charge of most things on Earth, Fauna, and Flora, were too busy arguing with one another to pay attention. The Elements, Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth greeted them kindly, but they didn't volunteer to train the girl. The seasons, Spring, Autumn, Summer, and Winter, did the same, though Winter stared at the Evening Star with longing and sadness. Meteyo, the Lord of Time, and his sister, the Priestess Starshine, came next. While Meteyo didn't think much of the baby, Starshine eagerly took her under her wing.
Starshine cared for the little girl, playing with her and teaching her magic throughout the years. The Priestess liked to pet her head and assure her that Evening Star would become a great council member alongside her someday. She regarded her as a second mother, especially after Moonlight turned cold and stern.
Evening Star and her shadow stayed on their clouds and started pouring the imaginary tea, thinking Starshine was just running late.
Just as she was about to call on the creatures of the Gods' kingdom to their party, her mother approached her.
"Oh, there you are," her mother, Moonlight, sighed. "Starshine won't be teaching you today. I will."
"Why? Is she sick?" Evening Star asked. She heard about sickness from the animals below but had never seen any god get sick.
Her mother shook her head. "No, she just got caught with everything and has little love troubles."
"What's love troubles?" Evening Star asked.
"Nothing for you to worry about," her mother responded. "Let's get started on your weather magic."
"But what's love-" Evening Star began.
"Enough. It's none of your business, and you need to train," Evening Star's mother barked. "You'll need it soon. Probably. Now put away your silly clouds and get to work."
Evening Star obeyed. Her body tensed at hearing her mother's words. She couldn't understand why her mother had decided to teach her today. Moonlight had said she was too busy, and the few times she did join in Evening Star's training, it was to complain that Starshine wasn't pushing her hard enough. Her shadow, however, had an inkling of what was going on.
Moonlight sighed each time Evening Star's thunderbolts missed the target.
"No, you're too distracted," She shouted at her. "You keep moving your hand!"
"I'm not," Evening Star whimpered back.
"Oh no? Then tell me why you keep messing up," Moonlight yelled back.
Evening Star found herself close to tears.
"I don't know! Starshine always guides my hand," Evening Star shouted.
Her mother groaned and whispered, "Why must she be so soft-hearted?"
Moonlight came over to her daughter and grabbed her hand. She forced Evening Star's fingers apart and her palm up to the target in the clouds.
Evening Star howled in pain, but she finally struck the right spot.
"Can you do it now?" her mother asked.
Tears fell from Evening Star's eyes as she nodded.
Evening Star kept shooting for an hour until her mother told her, "Alright, we'll work on your rainbows tomorrow. And you will start learning how to use the sword. I don't care what Starshine says."
Evening Star ran to her cove in the clouds, sobbing and crying. Her shadow followed her and petted her back.
Moonlight sighed as the Great One marched down from the clouds. He stared at her with despair and disappointment within them.
"Did you have to be so harsh with her?" he asked.
Moonlight glared at him. Fury formed in her dark amber eyes.
"Yes," Moonlight replied. "She won't survive if she doesn't take this seriously. I once thought Etheria was safe, but now I see there isn't anyone we can rely upon."
The Great One frowned, but he couldn't object to her words. She knew of his failings, especially regarding Starshine and Dark Heart. There was no sense in reassuring Moonlight that everything would be okay.
"Okay, but please be less hard on her," the Great One said with his silver hair flowing the wind. "She's just a little girl who doesn't understand what's happening."
Moonlight snarled, and her long black hair lingered upon her face as her yellow eyes flashed with rage. She said, "It doesn't matter to Dark Heart—or Flora or Fauna, for that matter. They'll either kill her or force her to serve them. There's no limit to what they'll do to get what they want."
The Great One stayed silent, unable to contradict her words. He could feel tears pressing against his eyes but decided he had no right to cry since this conflict was his fault.
Finally, he spoke. "It might not come to that. Surely, we can create a peaceful arrangement with Dark Heart and get him to change his ways. Get him to forgive us. Or perhaps the chosen ones will defeat him."
"Ha," Moonlight jeered. "Fat chance."
The Great One sighed with his arms crossed. "It may have never come to this if I had disciplined Flora and Fauna more. Kept them in check."
Moonlight responded, "You think?"
The Great One stared sadly off into the distance. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but no. Those three have always had agendas and could never put aside their desires."
Moonlight growled. "Why did you make those three Immortals in the first place?"
The Great One's old, worn eyes held so much despair that Moonlight nearly regretted her words.
"They had kind hearts once," The Great One explained. "So full of love for the world and all of its creatures. I thought their love could overcome their selfish natures."
Moonlight sighed. "Well, it didn't. So what are we going to do now?"
The Great One stared at the clouds down at his feet before telling her. "I'll try to get Flora and Fauna to see to reason. As for Dark Heart, I know that Starshine wants to help him, but-"
"She isn't going to get through to him," Moonlight insisted. "I don't know when that will dawn on her, but it's true. I just hope the Bear and the Horse and other creatures they've found can stop him."
The Great One nodded all his hope, leaving him. "He's too stubborn, too caught up in vengeance."
Moonlight told him, "I shall try to stop the damage they're doing, although if the worst comes to worst, I will take Evening Star to the Isle of Fear."
The Great One escaped his despair and stared at Moonlight in horror.
"You-you- can't," the Great One stuttered. "That is no place for a child."
Moonlight glared at him. "Oh, and here so much better?"
The Great One bowed in agreement but told her, "Just wait a little longer. I'm sure we can find peace once more."
Moonlight turned her gaze to the world under the clouds. Her dark midnight hair blew in the slight breeze before she turned back to the Great One.
"Fine, but just remember," she said. "If you cannot stop the war, and if Noble Heart and True Heart cannot stop Dark Heart, she'll leave. I have to think of her safety first. "
The Great One sighed once but nodded his head.
While all this was happening, Evening Star's shadow was watching them, her form hidden within a cloud.
The shadow flew over the other clouds back to the cavern where Evening Star remained, crying her violet eyes out.
The shadow told her everything. Evening Star pushed her into a little ball and continued weeping.
"I don't wanna leave," she howled. "This is my home!"
Nothing could soothe her, and it was only through her tiredness that she fell off to sleep. Moonlight came in once the night fell in their part of the sky. She petted her daughter's bright red hair.
"I'm sorry I was so harsh with you," Moonlight explained. "But in the days ahead, you need to be strong.
Evening Star heard her mother's words, but she pretended to be still asleep.
"I might not be with you," Moonlight told her. "So it will be up to you to keep kindness and love alive."Before setting out on her nightly duties, Moonlight gave Evening Star one last caress.